Transcriptome Analysis of Ligusticum chuanxiong Horts Extract on Yeast Aging Under Ethanol Stress

Ethanol generated during yeast fermentation has potential oxidative damaging effects, which can induce yeast aging and death. It has been reported that water extract of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort (Lch) exhibits antiaging effects on Saccharomyces cerevisiae. However, the role and underlying mechanisms of Lch in S. cerevisiae under ethanol stress remain elusive. Herein, we showed that Lch significantly improves the survival of S. cerevisiae under ethanol stress. Transcriptome analysis revealed that carbohydrate metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and ribosome biogenesis pathways were enriched in ethanol-treated S. cerevisiae. Compared with ethanol treatment, ribosome biogenesis and RNA polymerase pathways were enriched in Lch and ethanol co-treated S. cerevisiae. Additionally, glutathione (GSH) metabolism pathway was exclusively enriched in S. cerevisiae co-treated with Lch and ethanol. Supplementation with GSH significantly enhanced the survival of ethanol-treated S. cerevisiae. Taken together, these results suggest that Lch protects S. cerevisiae against ethanol stress by modulating ribosome biogenesis and GSH metabolism pathways.